Clemson University is located in Clemson, South Carolina. The campus is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the shores of Lake Hartwell on about 17,000 acres.

Founded in 1889 by Thomas Green Clemson, Clemson University is a public state university. Originally named Clemson Agricultural College, it opened with 446 students as an all-male military school. The military status was changed to civilian in 1955, and the college began accepting women. In 1964, the college took the name Clemson University. As of 2015, Clemson's student population exceeds 20,000. Besides its main campus in Clemson, the university also has facilities in Greenville, Greenwood, Columbia and Charleston.